Bumper to bumper

Have you noticed big city cars closely? Almost all of them are scratched or bumped into. When I was new to Delhi, I was amazed to see swanky cars with their ‘wounds’ and used to wonder at the carelessness of the drivers. The bewilderment was resolved when I started driving myself.
Bumper-to-bumper drive is what is the cause of each vehicle’s misery. Bikers too always look for the little gaps in between two stationed cars in traffic jams to zoom past and hence the scratches. The famous parking woes in big cities too lend a bump or two to each car.
Hence, it seems impossible that a new car will remain dent-free once it starts its run on big city roads. Quite strangely, Mercedes and BMWs seldom have scratches on their bodies. Reasons can be many, but I feel people try and drive a few cars away from such cars, for they epitomise power and wealth, and running into them could be ‘memorable’.
But the question is when will we witness a cultural change in how we drive? On roads, even the most polite turns into a bully. On every scratch their vehicles suffer, people halt their cars right in the middle and tantalisingly come close to engaging in a bull fight. Honking is an acquired deficiency that most of us are proud of.
Traffic rules are there but then who follows them? I have seen many times cops flouting driving rules with impunity. I have seen as many as four cops on bike –all without helmets – zoom past me. I would have understood had they been on a mission, but no. They stopped at a chai shop to sip hot tea and gossip.
The need of the hour is not only stricter traffic rules, but also inculcating driving ethics. And about scratches on our cars, well I guess a big red ‘L’ sign – even if you aren’t a learner anymore – might solve some problem, as rash drivers will stay away. Just may be!